Plea says paper mill releasing toxic waste, NGT sets up panel

NOIDA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a joint committee of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), and the district magistrate, which will prepare a report on a petition that accuses Sandeep Paper Mill in Sector 6 of discharging hazardous and untreated effluents, emitting toxic gases and polluting the area.
Hearing the matter on May 25, an NGT bench of (judicial member) Justice Sudhir Agarwal and (expert member) A Senthil Vel decided to obtain a factual report before initiating action against the mill.
“The joint committee will visit the site, collect relevant information and submit a factual report, particularly covering the aspects of consent, compliance, operation of industry in the densely-populated area, schedule of operation per the graded response action plan, and use of approved fuel within two months,” it said. The next hearing will be on September 1.
The petitioner, advocate Vijay Kumar, a Sector 5 resident, said the paper mill lies close to villages like Harola, Nayabans, Atta and Jhundpura, and sectors 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 15A. “Several residents in the adjacent areas have complained of asthma, skin and respiratory diseases. Rubber, plastic, etc., are also dumped in the mill’s neighbourhood while it daily emits black smoke from its chimney. The unit should get shifted to some industrial area,” Kumar added.
A UPPCB official said Sandeep Paper Mill recently shifted to approved fuel. “A third-party inspection is conducted quarterly at these units before submission of compliance reports. According to the NGT order, the committee will investigate the matter and submit its report,” he said.